On behalf of the team at NPR's From the Top, I want to give a big thank you to the El Paso Summer Music Festival for hosting our live concert recording June 1 at the Plaza Theatre. This is our second visit to El Paso and once again we were impressed by the energy and spirit of cooperation that exists in the arts and music community. From the ice cream social hosted by the students at the DaVinci School last Friday, to rehearsals at UTEP's School of Music, through the show at the incredible Plaza and then finally to bring our young musicians for a workshop at the YWCA's Transitional Living Center, we were embraced by a spirit of warmth (ok, it is really hot here!) and generosity that makes El Paso a very special place.

Also featured was 15-year-old violinist Claire Wells from Plano, Texas,

where she attends Spring Creek Academy. She has attended the

Brian Lewis Young Artists Program, Music @ Menlo, and has competed

in the Menuhin Competition.

Adam Phan, 18, from Cedar Hill Texas performed on harp. Adam

attends Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts.

He is a member of the Fort Worth Youth Orchestra and the

Booker T. Washington High School Opera Orchestra. He was the

co-winner of the Fort Worth Symphony's Young Artist Competition

and second in the American Harp Society National Competition.

Adrian Liao, 17 year-old pianist, from San Diego, California,

attends Torrey Pines High School. In the fall, she will attend the

New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.

She is also a violinist with the Torrey Pines Advanced Orchestra and has participated in the Montecito International Music Festival and Lee University Festival. She performed Caprice Espangol, Op.37 by Moritz Moszkowski.

IT WAS A FANTASTIC SHOW!

2018 INSTRUMENTS FOR YOUNG LIVES AWARDEES

CARLOS SIMENTAL (Horizon High School) - Bb Clarinet

ISAIAH HERRERA (Eastwood High School) - Double Bass

ANNOUNCING THE 2018 COMPETITION WINNERS

1ST PLACE

VINCENT YANG, piano

2ND PLACE

JONATHAN LÓPEZ, clarinet

3RD PLACE

JUAN ALEXIS SÁNCHEZ GONZÁLEZ, violin

RECOGNITION FOR ACHIEVEMENT

ERASTO CORTÉS II, piano

ANDRÉS RICO, piano

KATHLEEN LIANG, piano

BRANDON TORRES, alto saxophone

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES

2018 COMPETITION FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS RECITAL

HELD

MAY 19, 2018

6:00 PM

STAR CITY STUDIOS

120 W. CASTELLANO

EL PASO, TX 79912

Announcing the Winners of the 2018

OM/NI - Original Music / New Ideas Competition

Junior Division

1st Place - Mountains by Alan Shipman ($300)

2nd Place - The Black Swan by Xinyi Zhang ($200)

3rd Place - Twlight by Cecilia Richardson ($100)

Emerging Division

1st Place - Falling Through a Black Hole by Paul Stovall ($750)

2nd Place - Life by W.F. Smith Leithart ($500)

3rd Place - Chiarascuro by Seth Kenyon ($250)

Audience Choice Award

"One" Prelude in G minor by Kyle Doeden ($200)

Additional Recognition for Publication

Prelude in C# minor by Mitch Boucher

Teal by Michael Clark

Coax by Jarvis Grayson

Refuge, (disrupted) by Alex Niederberger

Rain: from Three Glimpses into Memory by Timothy Parsons

Reverie by Benjamin Seavallo

Additional Information

Each of the pieces above will be published in the

2018 OM/NI New Music Compilation

and be available to the public later this fall.

Additionally, a selection of audio highlights from this year's

concert will also be made available

Thanks to this year's amazing young composers, our collaborative artists, and the Sounds of St. Mark's Concert Series for hosting the 2018 OM/NI Competition Concert!

2019 applications/guidelines for all of the EPSMF programs (OM/NI, IYL and CYM) will be online by September 15th.